Agafay Desert near Marrakech: our top electric bike experience
- citylockma
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
Marrakech is often associated with its medina, souks, and riads. But just a few kilometers away, a completely different landscape appears: rawer, quieter, almost desert-like.
Only a short drive from the city, the Agafay Desert offers a surprising alternative for those wondering what to do in Marrakech beyond the usual tourist paths.
Over the past few years, we’ve tried several experiences to get off the beaten track. And one that truly stood out was discovering Agafay… by electric bike.
This experience was part of a team-building trip in Marrakech, and here we’re sharing our impressions.
Heading to Agafay: an unexpected landscape just 40 minutes from Marrakech
The Agafay Desert, often (wrongly) compared to the Sahara, is in fact a rocky desert with an almost lunar landscape. It has nothing to do with the vast sand dunes people usually imagine.
Today, it has become a must-visit destination around Marrakech, offering luxury desert camps, quad excursions, and camel rides.
But this time, we tried something a little different: an off-road electric bike exploration.
And honestly… we did not expect that at all.
Zero emissions, zero noise, zero dust… 100% enjoyment.
The Allmoov Marrakech team welcomed us at their base with a simple promise: to experience the Agafay Desert “without noise, without dust.”
Their fleet is made up of electric mountain bikes from the brand CUBE, equipped with Bosch motors (we’re not bike experts, but we can definitely say the comfort and build quality really surprised us).
The team also introduced us to an off-road version of the electric scooter: the E-Scooter. At first glance, these machines might look a bit… intimidating. But in reality, they’re true exploration toys.
And the real bonus that will probably win over many people: no pedaling required. Just a bit of balance… and the adventure begins.
What to expect from the experience?
Three types of tours are available:
Half-day rides:Around 2h30 of activity through the region’s varied landscapes, between desert, lake, and rolling hills.
Full-day discovery tour:A longer experience that takes you further, following a route through the foothills of the Atlas Mountains, the Agafay Desert, with a lunch break on a panoramic terrace overlooking Lake Lalla Takerkoust.
Multi-day tours (full board):For a deeper immersion, multi-day trips are also available, exploring the mountains and traditional villages of the High Atlas.
Thanks to the strategic location of the base, ideally positioned between the Lalla Takerkoust Dam, the Agafay Desert, and the first Atlas foothills, it is possible to discover several iconic spots around Marrakech in a single trip. A real advantage.
We opted for the half-day experience.
The adventure began at the base, where we were welcomed and fully equipped with all the necessary safety gear. Each member of the group was given either an electric mountain bike or an E-Scooter, depending on their preference, both perfectly adjusted to ensure maximum comfort.
After a short briefing and a few very easy practice tests, we set off onto the tracks of the Marrakech countryside.
Our guide led us along a route far from the crowds (which we could sometimes see in the distance, lost in clouds of dust… and we were honestly very happy to be away from them).
What we particularly enjoyed:
👉 the ability to adapt the pace
👉 discovering areas far from the usual tourist routes
👉 the calm and diversity of the landscapes we crossed
👉 passing through villages, where locals welcomed us warmly, without ever feeling intrusive
👉 and above all… the total silence (and if you’ve ever experienced the atmosphere of the medina, you’ll understand how valuable that is)
Our outdoor favorite? Definitely. But why?
We’re starting to know Marrakech and its region quite well… and yet, this off-road electric adventure showed it to us from a completely different perspective.
First, the calm.A real sense of calm. Almost surprising when you come from the city’s constant buzz.
Then there’s this feeling of freedom, hard to describe, but present throughout the entire ride.
The ability to reach stunning places, only accessible via tracks usually reserved for pedestrians or small donkeys…
And above all, experiencing an activity in Marrakech that doesn’t feel overly formatted.A simple, authentic experience, created with heart and a genuine passion for off-road exploration.
Finally, it is also one of the few activities in Marrakech that embraces a more eco-friendly approach. Perhaps the early signs of a greener kind of tourism in the region… at least, that’s what we hope.
If you feel tempted by the idea, you can discover this experience for yourself here:
